CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS USED IN VILLAGE DIRECTORY (VD) AND TOWN

DIRECTORY (TD) OF DISTRICT CENSUS HAND BOOK (DCHB)

1. Educational Amenities:-The type of different educational facilities available in the village is

given in numbers. Both Government and private educational facilities / institutions are considered for
this-purpose. If there are composite schools like Middle schools with Primary classes, or Secondary
schools with middle classes, these are included in the number of Primary and Middle schools
respectively. For example, if in a village there are two Primary schools and one Middle school with
primary classes, the number of Primary schools in the village are given as three and that of Middle
school as one even though there may be only three educational institutions. So also in case of
Secondary schools. For better understanding, the distinctiveness of different types of schools is
depicted hereunder:

1.1 Pre-primary (PP): Now-a-days, the children are sent to schools at a very early stage. Lot of pre-
primary schools, private schools in particular, have come up in villages and towns. These may or may
not be recognized by the competent authorities. Even many Secondary schools have classes starting
from preprimary level. Pre-primary classes include Nursery, K.G., Pre-basic, Play school, etc.

1.2 Primary School (P): Schools providing education from Standard 1 and upward up to and inclusive
of Standard V are classified as Primary Schools.

1.3 Middle School (M): Schools providing education from Standard VI and upward up to and
inclusive of Standard VIII are classified as Middle Schools. A School with Class 1 to VIII is treated as
two units, i.e. one Primary School and one Middle School.

1.4 Secondary School (S): Schools providing education from Standard IX and upwards up to and
inclusive of Standard X are classified as Secondary Schools. A composite school with 1 to X standard
is treated as three separate units and counted separately under the categories of Primary School,
Middle School and Secondary School.

1.5 Senior Secondary School (SS): Schools and colleges that provide education for Standards XI and
XII and first and second year of the Pre-University Course fall under this category. There are Senior
Secondary Schools with Standard I and upwards up to Standard XII.

1.6. Degree College: (i) Arts/Science/Commerce: These are all educational institutions that provide
post-PUC level education leading to University degree/diploma in any subject or combination of
subjects and also post-graduate levels of education. The college offering courses in Arts, Science or
Commerce either separately or in combination are covered under this category.

(ii) Engineering College (E): It is a graduate/post-graduate degree college providing Bachelor of

Engineering (BE) or Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech.) or post-graduate engineering degrees like
M.Tech.

(iii) Medical Colleges: These are graduate/post-graduate degree colleges providing MBBS or
equivalent degree in alternative medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy etc. or post-graduate
medical degrees like M.D or equivalent in the above branches of medicine.

1.7. Management College/ Institute (MI): It offers courses like Diploma in Management, Post-
Graduate Diploma in Management, Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and specializations in
different disciplines of Management like Marketing, Human Resources Development (HRD) etc.

1.8. Polytechnic (Pt): An Institution providing certificate/diploma (not equivalent to degree) in any
technical subject like engineering, vocational courses like embroidery, fashion designing etc. It may be
both Government and Private.

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1.9. Vocational School/ITI: It is a vocational training institute imparting trainings in specific fields
acquiring necessary skill, which will make the trainees employable or create them opportunities of self-
employment. Trainings offered by Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) fall under this category.

1.10. Non-formal Education/Training Centre (NFTC): Non-vocational education centers,

established by the Central and State Governments provide educational facilities to the interested
persons irrespective of educational qualification, and age. These education centers are open to all.

1.11. Special School for Disabled: There are Government and Government recognized
institutions/organizations engaged for providing education to different groups of disabled persons.

2. Medical Facilities:

2.1 Hospital-Allopathic and Hospital-Alternative medicine: A hospital is an Institution, where sick

or injured are given medical or surgical care. Bed strength differs from hospital to hospital ranging
from 31 to 500 depending upon whether these are sub-district, sub-divisional or district hospitals. If
there is hospitals providing facilities under different systems of medicines such as, Allopathy,
Ayuveda, Unani and Homeopathy etc., these details are given separately.

(a) Allopathy: The system of medical practice, which treats disease by the use of remedies which
produce effects different from those produced by the disease under treatment.
(b)Ayurveda: Ayurveda means ‘Science of life’. The philosophy of Ayurveda is based on the theory
of Pancha Mahabhootas (Five elements) of which all the objects and living bodies are composed of.
The combination of these five elements are represented in the form of Tridosha: Vata, Pitta and
Kapha. These three ‘doshas’ are physiological entities of living beings. Ayurveda developed into eight
distinct specialities, i.e., Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Eye and ENT, Surgery,
Toxicology, Geriatrics and Science of virility. Two types of treatments, Preventive and Curative, are
given in Ayurveda.
(c) Unani: Treatment of Unani consists of three components, namely, preventive, promotive and
curative. Unani system of medicine has been found to be efficacious in conditions like Rheumatic
Artharitis. Jaundice, Filarisis, Eczema, Sinusitis and Bronchial Asthma. For the prevention of the
disease and promotion of health, the Unani System emphasizes six essentials: pure air, food and
water, physical movement and rest, psychic movement and rest, sleep and wakefulness and retention
of useful materials and evacuation of waste materials from the body.
(d) Homoeopathy: Treatment in Homoeopathy, which is holistic in nature, focuses on an individual’s
response to a specific environment. Homoeopathic medicines are prepared mainly from natural
substances such as plant products, minerals and animal sources. Homoeopathic medicines do not have
any toxic, poisonous or side effects. Homoeopathic treatment is economical as well and has a very
broad public acceptance.
2.2 Community Health Centre (CHC): Community Health Centres are designed to provide referral
health care for cases from PHC and those in need of specialist health care approaching the CHC
directly. 4 PHCs are included under each CHC thus catering approximately 80,000 populations in
tribal/hilly areas and 1, 20,000 populations for plain areas. CHC is a 30- bedded hospital providing
specialist care in Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Surgery and Paediatrics.

2.3 Primary Health Centre (PHC): A Primary Health Centre is the first contact point between a
village community and the Government medical officer. A PHC covers a population of 20,000 in
hilly, tribal or difficult areas and 30,000 populations in plain areas with 4-6 indoor/observation beds. It
acts as a referral unit for 6 sub-centres. It has a medical officer and para medical staff.

2.4 Primary Health Sub- Centre (PHS): A Primary Health Sub-centre is the first contact point
between the primary health care system and the community. As per the population norms, one PHS is

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established for every 5,000 population in plain areas and 3,000 population in hilly/ tribal/ desert areas.
Each PHS has a sanctioned strength of one male and one female heath worker.

2.5 Maternity and Child Welfare Centre (MCW): It provides pre-natal and post-natal services for
both mother and child. The services include regular check-up of pregnant women, giving folic tablets,
counseling, delivery, immunization of children with check-up etc.
2.6 TB Clinic (TBC): The diagnosis and treatment of TB are functions of the general health services
and hence it is a part and parcel of Primary Health Care. Specialized units such as the District
Tuberculosis Centre (DTC) act as referral centres. TB clinics are established by the Government of
India under the National Tuberculosis Control Programme and implemented through a network of
DTC. The DTC is the nodal point for TB control activities in the district and it also functions as a
specialized referral centre. The functions of sub-district level Tuberculosis Unit (TU) are
implementation, monitoring and supervision of TB control activities in its designated geographical
areas.

2.7 Health Centre: Clinic where medicine and medical supplies are dispensed. It has no in-patient
facility. A clinic (or an outpatient clinic) is a small private or public health facility that is devoted to the
care of outpatients, often in a community, in contrast to larger hospitals, which also treat inpatients.

2.8 Dispensary: Place where patients are treated and medicines provided but with no in-patient
facility. Immunizations, MCH Services and sometimes pathological tests are carried out here. It may
be of allopathic or any alternative medicine.
2.9 Veterinary Hospital: Mostly run by the State Government or local body for treatment and
preventive measures against diseases of domestic animals like cows, buffaloes etc in rural areas.
2.10 Mobile Health Clinic: These are Mobile vans well equipped with a range of health services to
villages located far away from the CHCs, PHCs or any public health sources. The vans visit villages
on designated days to deliver the health care services. The services generally offered are OPD, ante-
natal and post-natal, B.P. examination, X-ray, ECG, Immunization, First Aid etc.
2.11 Family Welfare Centre: Check-up and counseling is provided to the pregnant and married
women regarding small family norm and devices for having a small family. Temporary and
permanent contraceptive devices are provided here.
2.12 Nursing Home: A nursing home is a long –term care facility licensed by the state that offers 24-
hour room and board and health care services including basic and skilled nursing care, rehabilitation
and a full range of other therapies, treatments and programs to old and sick people. The difference
between a hospital and a nursing home is that a nursing home gives importance to convalescence from
a disease while a hospital gives medical treatment for the disease.
2.13 Medicine Shop: A shop which sells drugs and medicines of any system of medicine viz.
allopathic, homeopathic, ayurvedic or unani medicines, is considered as a medicine shop. Sometimes
some shops and Paan shops also keep ordinary medicines, like Crocin, Burnol etc. These shops are not
taken as medicine shops.

3. Drinking water: The following are the main source of drinking water facility (ies) available in the
village.

3.1 Tap Water-treated: This source of drinking water refers to a source of drinking water which is
provided to the villagers through pipes within their premises or to the villagers through common taps
(public taps/community water points) by the Government departments, local bodies, panchayats,
public or private estate agencies, etc. after treatment. Such a source is treated as ‘Tap water from
treated source’.

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3.2 Tap Water-un-treated: If the villagers are drawing drinking water through pipes either directly
from a well or bore well or after pumping the well or tube well water, or the water is supplied through
pipes to the households of the village or through public taps without treatment. Such a source is
treated as ‘Tap water from un-treated source’.

3.3 Covered Well (CW): A well that is (1) covered on sides from run-off water (i.e., excess water
from rain, snowmelt or other sources flows over the land) through a wall lining or casting that is
raised above ground level on a platform that diverts spilled water away from the well and (2) covered
so that bird droppings and animals cannot fall down the hole. It is considered as covered well.

3.4 Un-covered Well (UW): A well which is (1) un-covered on sides from runoff water, (2) un-
covered from bird droppings and animals; or (3) both.

3.5 Hand Pump (HP): Hand pump means where ground water is taken out manually by operating a
hand pump.

3.6 Tube Well / Borehole (TW): Tube well denotes the ground water source from where ground
water is taken out through electrical or diesel pump. Spring, River/Canal, Tank/Pond/Lark are self
explanatory.

4. Community Toilet Complex : Community Toilet may be constructed and maintained by Gram
Panchayats or Private NGOs like Sulabh Sauchalaya or likes.

5. Rural Sanitary Mart or Sanitary Hardware Outlet (RSM): It is an outlet dealing with the
materials, hardware and designs required for the construction of not only sanitary latrines but other
sanitary facilities such as compost pit, washing platform and other sanitation and hygiene accessories
required for individuals, households and the environment in the rural areas.

6. Community bio-gas or recycle of waste for productive use: Many of the solid wastes having
economic values but put for disposal can be recycled for reuse. For example, food, cow dung, leaves,
vegetable, paper, wood, plastics, old cloth etc. However, some of the wastes are not recyclable. These
are carbon paper, thermo coal etc. When recyclable solid wastes is subjected to decomposition, bio-
gas could be produced under favourable conditions. These systems of recycling may be there at the
village level organized by Gram Panchayats with technical support from Governments or non-
government organizations.

7. Communication and transport Facilities: 7.1 Post Office (PO): Self-explanatory.7.2 Sub-Post
Office (SPO): Sub-post office includes Extra Departmental Post Offices and those providing
franchise postal services and also part time services in lieu of some honorarium. The limited postal
services include sale of stamps, receipt of letters and money orders and also distribution of letters.

7.3 Post & Telegraph Office (PTO): Telegraph office is set up by the Government to enable people
to send or receive telegrams. If the phonogram facility is available (though the Telegraph office may
not be equipped with Morse Code Transmitters), the village is considered to be having telegraph
facility.

7.4 Telephones (landlines): If the village is having the Public Call Office (PCO) either run by the
Post Office or by individuals or by a private shop, then the village is considered to be having
telephone facility.

7.5 Public Call Office (PCO)/Mobile PCO: Self explanatory.7.6 Mobile Phone Coverage: Mobile
phones are now very common particularly in urban areas. Some villages by virtue of being in close
proximity to the urban areas also enjoy the benefits of the mobile phone services. Even if a few

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 villagers avail the services of mobile phones, then the village is considered to be having access to
mobile phone.

7.7 Internet Cafes/Common Service Centres (CSC): If the village is having the facility of Cyber
Cafes or shops owned by private individuals providing the facility of surfing of the internet, then the
village is considered to be having access to internet/cyber cafe facility. Government of India
formulated the scheme of CSC with the vision of providing all government services in an integrated
manner at the door step of the citizen at an affordable cost even in the remotest corners of the country
through a combination of it based as well as non-IT based services.

7.8 National Highway (NH): These are main highways running through the length and breadth of the
country. Each NH is numbered like NH-1, NH-2 for easy identification.

7.9 State Highway (SH): These are roads of a state linking district headquarters and important cities
within a State and connecting them with NHs or Highways of the neighboring States.

7.10 Major District Roads (MDR): These are important roads within a district, serving areas of
production and markets and connecting these with each other or with the main Highways.

7.11 Other District Roads (ODR): These are roads serving rural areas of production and providing
them with outlet to market centres, taluka headquarters, block development head quarters or other main
roads.

7.12 Village Road: The approach to village refers to the state of road etc., leading to the village. This
is to see whether the village is approachable both in fair and foul weather, and whether it is
inaccessible only for some time in the year.

7.13. Black-Topped (Pucca) Road (BTR): A road provided with a bituminous surfacing.

7.14 Gravel (Kuchha) Road (GR): A road constructed using well compacted crushed rock or gravel
material (coarse sand, small stones), which is fairly resilient and does not become slippery when wet.

7.15 Water Bound Macadam (WBM): This is the road layer made of crushed or broken mixture of
sand and rock fragments mechanically interlocked by rolling and voids filled with screening and
binding material with the assistance of water.

7.16 Foot Path (FP): A trodden path for the use by pedestrians and in some cases bicycles. The Foot
Paths are not suitable for vehicular traffic except bicycles in some cases. Most of the interior/forest
villages are connected by Foot Paths.

8. Banks and Credit Societies: - Banking facility means a place where a person can operate a bank
account.

8.1 Commercial Bank (CB): These may be banks wholly owned by the Government of India. or by
Indian or Foreign Companies.

8.2 Cooperative Banks (Coop. B): A co-operative bank is a financial entity which belongs to its
members, who are at the same time the owners and the customers of their bank. Cooperative banks are
often created by persons belonging to the some local or professional community or sharing a common
interest. These banks are registered under the Cooperative Societies Act. The cooperative banks are
regulated by RBI and are covered by the Banking Regulations Act, 1949.
8.3 Agricultural Credit Society (ACS): Major objectives of the ACS are to supply agricultural credit
to meet the requirements of funds for agricultural production, the distribution of essential consumer
commodities, the provision of storage and marketing facilities and for light agricultural implements
and machinery.

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8.4 Non-Agricultural Credit Society (NCS): These societies include consumer cooperative societies
and also credit cooperative societies of certain categories of persons like teachers, health workers, etc.

9. Miscellaneous Facilities: 9.1 Self-help Group (SHG): Self-Help Groups are groups of between
10-25 women created by either NGOs or under the SGSY (Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana) for
the purposes of meeting local credit needs. They are sometimes called Mahila Mandals in villages.

9. 2. Public Distribution System (PDS) shop: The shops through which some essential commodities
are sold by the government at subsidized rates. They may also be known as ration shops and control
shops.

9.3. Mandis/Regular Market: These are those clusters of shops with or without fixed premises
which are open on at least six days a week and opens at least from morning hours to dusk.

9.4. Weekly Haat: These are those clusters of shops with or without fixed premises which are open
once a week.

9.5. Agricultural Marketing Society: It is a common platform to analyse the issues among all the
individuals and institutions in the field of agricultural marketing.

9.6. Nutrition Centre: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): The Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) Scheme set up by the Government of India with the objective of
providing following package of services to the children under 6 years and pregnant and lactating
mothers in villages such as; Immunization, Health Check-up, Referral Services, Pre-school Non-
formal Education and Nutrition & Health Education.

9.7. Anganwadi Centre: Each centre under the ICDS scheme is run by an Anganwadi Worker. One
Anganwadi worker is appointed for specified population of the village. They are basically local
women. They are assisted by Anganwadi helper. They provide pre-school non-formal education at the
Centre and provide food to the children.

9.8. Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA): ASHA is a health activist in the community who
will create awareness on health and its social determinants and mobilize the community towards local
health planning and increased utilization and accountability of the existing health services. She would
be a promoter of good health practices. She will also provide a minimum package of curative care as
appropriate and feasible for that level and make timely referrals. She will act as a motivator of
different types of health related activities. Unlike ANM, she will not be involved in any clinical
activities like immunization.

9.9. Sports Club/Recreation Centre: Indoor and out-door games are arranged by the Club and
activities like wrestling, Judo Karate etc. are also done there.

9.10. Cinema/Video Hall (CV): If regular cinema houses licensed by Government is available, then
the town/village is considered to be having the facility of Cinema Hall. Video hall owners screen
films in their own or hired premises.

9.11. Public Library: Books are kept there which can be accessed by the public on loan basis. These
may be sponsored by Government or Local Body or Panchayat or any influential person. Free service
or nominal charges are made for using the facility.

9.12. Public Reading Room: Here the public may read newspapers and magazines. These may be
sponsored by Government or Local Body or Panchayat or any influential person.

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 9.13. Newspaper Supply: The availability of the Newspaper(s), both in English or vernacular, in the
village is considered to having the said facility.

10. Availability of Electricity/Power. If power is actually available, whatever may be the form of its
use, it is indicated affirmative. If the village is having electricity for domestic purposes and the
residents are using the same for domestic use, then it is considered that domestic power supply is
available. If the electricity authority has not given domestic supply to the households on their request
and people are using unauthorized electricity either by stealthily or misuse the supply meant for
agricultural or industrial purposes, then it is not considered as availability of electricity for domestic
purposes. However, if the village goes out of power due to temporary technical problems such as,
transformer failures, theft of electrical equipment, etc., it is considered that electricity is available.
Supply of electricity is considered available even when there is a temporary ban on new domestic
connections. Connections to residential houses, bungalows, clubs, hostels and hospitals run on non-
commercial basis, charitable, educational and religious institutions are included in the domestic
category.

10.1 Power Supply for domestic use: This category includes electricity used only for domestic
consumption.

10.2 Power supply for agricultural use: This category includes all electricity connections given to
the farmers for conducting various agricultural activities including irrigation.

10.3 Power supply for commercial use: This category includes electricity connections given for
workshops, industries etc. or for any commercial purposes.

10.4 Power supply for all uses: This category includes electricity connection is available for
domestic use, agricultural use, and for any commercial purposes.

11. Land Use Pattern: The land use area of the villages is given in hectares. The land use pattern in the
Village Directory conform to the pattern of classification of land use as recommended by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Government of India. The Ministry has recommended the maintenance of records of land use
pattern under the 9 categories as indicated in the Village Directory.

12. System of drainage : Generally, by drainage system, we mean the network of mains and branches
of underground conduits for the conveyance of sewerage to the point of disposal. Sewers that carry only
household and industrial wastage are called separate sewers; those that carry storm water from roofs,
streets and other surfaces are known as storm water drains, while those carrying both sewage and storm
water are called combined sewers. However, in towns, which are not provided with such underground
sewerage system, it is mentioned whether it has open drainage system. There may be possibility of the
town having both closed as well as open drainage systems.

13. Type of latrines: The data on various types of latrines both public and private together are collected.
The three types of latrines considered here are, Pit Latrine, Flush/Pour Flush Latrine and Service Latrine.

(i) Pit System: The latrines are attached to the pit that is dug into the ground for the reception of night soil,
are reckoned as pit latrine.

(ii) Flush/pour flush: A flush latrine uses a cistern or holding tank for flushing water and has a water seal,
which is a U-shaped pipe, below the seat or squatting pan that prevents the passage of flies and odours. A
pour flush latrine uses a water seal, but unlike a flush latrine, a pour flush latrine uses water poured by hand
for flushing (no cistern is used).

(iii) Service: Type of latrine from where night soil is removed manually by scavengers. All other types of
latrines are covered under “Others” category.

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14. Protected Water Supply- Source and capacity of Storage system: There are various sources of
water supply and its storage system in the town.

14.1 Service Reservoir: A service reservoir is a water storage container that holds clean water after it
has been treated in a water plant, and before it is piped to the end users. These containers are covered,
and are designed to keep the water safe from contamination. Their main purpose is to provide a buffer
within the water supply system so that water supplies can be maintained across periods of varying
demand.

14.2 River Infiltration Gallery: Infiltration Galleries are capable of supplying large quantities of
water, and are used where wells are unable to supply water needs, i.e. where an impermeable rock
barrier affects well efficiency, or where surface water sources are too shallow for intake screens.
Infiltration galleries are one or more horizontal screens placed adjacent to (on-shore), or directly
underneath (bed-mounted), a surface water source.

14.3 Bore Well Pumping System: A bore well is a well of 6" to 12" in diameter drilled into the earth
for retrieving water. The depth of a bore well can vary from 50 feet to 3000 feet. Water is pumped out
to surface through electricity/generator.

14.4 Pressure Tank: Tank that is used to ensure consistent water pressure and for storage of water.
Usually located in basement of house but sometimes (in older settings) located in well pit.

15. Road lighting (Points): Road lighting means the number of street lights that are maintained in the
town.

16. Home Orphanage: Orphanage is the name to describe a residential institution devoted to the care of
orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable to care for them. Parents, and
sometimes grandparents, are legally responsible for supporting children, but in the absence of these or
other relatives willing to care for the children, they become a ward of the state, and orphanages are a
way of providing for their care and housing.

17. Working women's hostel: These may be recognised or non-recognised by any public authority. The
data on number of working women's hostels available in the town are collected with number of seats.

18. Old Age Home: There are two types of Old Age Homes in India. One is the "Free" type which
cares for the destitute old people who have no one else to care for them. They are given shelter, food,
clothing and medical care. The second type is the "Paid" home where care is provided for a fee.
Nowadays, such "Retirement" homes have become very popular in India and they are well worth
considering.

19. Stadium: A stadium is a place, or venue, for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts or other events,
consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators
to stand or sit and view the event.

20. Auditorium/Community Hall: These are the places where meetings, social functions etc. are
organised.

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